Graham Stapelberg Named ASP Strategy Officer

ASP Announces Graham Stapelberg As New Chief Strategy Officer

LOS ANGELES, California/USA (Thursday, January 23, 2014) – Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) International announced today the appointment of Graham Stapelberg as its Chief Strategy Officer. Stapelberg joins ASP shortly before the re-launch of the sport with the 2014 ASP World Championship Tour commencing on March 1 with the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast.

Stapelberg will support ASP CEO Paul Speaker and the executive team across multiple divisions of the organization as professional surfing enters into a new era of its existence as a global sports league.

"Graham has exhibited excellence in virtually every sector of the sport throughout his celebrated 20 years of involvement," Speaker said. "His extensive experience across events, sponsorships, athletes, judging, operations, finances, marketing, media and activations both inside and outside the industry will prove invaluable as we grow professional surfing in exciting new ways. We're very fortunate to have Graham with us and we look forward to accomplishing great things together."

Stapelberg's 20-year tenure in the surf industry includes previously serving as CEO of the ASP and recently serving as Global Vice President of Marketing for Billabong.

"I am sad to leave Billabong, it has been an amazing ride working with some of the most talented people," Stapelberg said. "I am very proud of our achievements and will be forever grateful to Gordon Merchant, Paul Naude and the staff who supported me over the years. However I am extremely excited at the prospect of going back to ASP."

"It is no secret professional surfing is my passion and has been since my very first ASP event I judged in Cape Town in 1985," Stapelberg continued. "Paul Speaker and his team are doing excellent work and are championing some of the most important changes to professional surfing in the sport's history. I am honored to be taking on the role of Chief Strategy Officer for the ASP."

The 2014 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) will commence on March 1, 2014 with the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast.

ASP is dedicated to showcasing the world's best surfing talent in a variety of progressive formats and has revolutionized the way the world watches surfing via their webcasts. It is the governing body of professional surfing, crowning surfing's undisputed world champions since 1976.